MISSING: Stolen Maltese Loved By Hillsborough Family

Hillsborough, NJ – A beloved pooch from Hillsborough, who not only brought love and affection to his owners but to local seniors, has been stolen.

Angelo, a 14-month-old Italian Maltese, belonged to Fito Irribarra and Rhona Lava of Hillsborough. He was more than their pet, he was a member of the family.

“It’s not just stealing a dog, it’s like stealing a baby,” Irribarra told Patch. “He’s my baby. You should see my wife, she is hurting. She would sleep with him every night.”

Angelo travels everywhere with Irribarra as a passenger in his truck.

Irribarra, who runs a transport company out of his home town, was making a delivery to a business located at 2170 Jerome Avenue in the Bronx on Thursday, April 14 between 1 and 2 p.m.

He left the front door unlocked and the window open a crack to give Angelo air as he unloaded cabinets in the back of his 26-foot box truck.

During the delivery, someone stole Irribarra’s GPS unit and Angelo.

“I’ve been desperately trying to find him because he’s my buddy,” Irribarra said. “He goes everywhere with me. I’ve been putting posters everywhere.”

Irribarra went back to the Bronx area over the weekend and walked the streets looking for Angelo. Several people who saw Irribarra hanging posters said they saw the dog walking on the streets and tried to catch him but he got away.

“The guy who stole him probably got scared because I have so many posters up,” Irribarra said. “He can’t walk the dog since someone will recognize it so he probably let it go on the street.”

Irribarra has yet to break the news to the seniors at Foothill Acres Nursing Home on Mountain Road in Hillsborough, who have become attached to Angelo.

Lava’s mother stays at Foothill and Irribarra would bring Angelo to visit her and the other seniors every weekend.

“We would take him in a dog carriage and the seniors would pet him,” Irribarra. “He became sort of like an unlicensed therapy dog for them.”

“They love him so much and he makes them so happy,” Lava said.

Along with bringing joy to Hillsborough seniors, Irribarra began to rely on Angelo for his own medical needs.

“He trained himself to tell me when my sugar level goes too high since I have diabetes type 2,” Irribarra said.

Angelo would lick Irribarra’s arm incessantly and when he didn’t respond he would jump up and lick his ear. Irribarra pulled over his truck and checked his level and saw his sugar level was high.

This happened on numerous occasions. Angelo would also lick Irribarra when his blood pressure was too high.

“Everytime he licks me I know to check my sugar or just talk to him and pet him and my blood pressure goes down,” Irribarra said.

Irribarra and Lava are offering a $300 reward for Angelo.

“I don’t care about the money,” Irribarra said. “As long as someone gives me my dog back.”

If you have any information on where Angelo is call Fito Irribarra at 917-208-4997 or 908-874-6965.